Cat Frazier: The Internet's 'Bad Design' Pioneer

Cat Frazier, an influential digital artist, challenged the sleek design trends of the 2010s with her distinctive retro-maximalist aesthetic. While studying graphic design at Pratt Institute in the fall of 2012, she discovered the vibrant, often garish, designs of early internet platforms like GeoCities and MySpace.

Inspired by this 'bad' design and a DIY ethos, Frazier began creating animated GIFs of ironic phrases for her Tumblr, AnimatedText. Her work quickly gained a massive following, eventually reaching half a million, including many design professionals. Her art celebrated personal expression over uniformity.

Frazier's artistic contributions extended beyond AnimatedText, including projects like 'Spinning 3-D Pornhub Comments' and 'Ask Cat.' Her unique style and embrace of a rawer internet era resonated as a backlash against the corporatization of online spaces. Frazier passed away on June 29th at the age of 35 following a heart-related emergency.